Isiah Thomas Nixes Return To Knicks In Consultant Role

Isiah Thomas beat the NBA to the punch and pulled the plug on his return to the Garden.

Thomas has reneged on a consultant’s job with the Knicks that he had originally accepted last week – which lead to an outcry from fans, media and other college coaches – because it violated NBA conflict-of-interest rules.

“After speaking with Commissioner Stern and Knicks executives, it has become apparent that my new agreement violates certain NBA bylaws,” Thomas Wednesday night in a statement. “Because of this, I have decided to rescind my contract with the team. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Jim Dolan, Donnie Walsh, Mike D’Antoni and the entire Knicks organization, and I want to thank them for affording me this opportunity.”